Razor blade sharpening device



p 12, 1939. 9 A. w. BLAK ELY 2,172,493

RAZOR BLADE SHARPENING DEVICE Filed March 29, 1939 Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAZOR BLADE SHARPENING DEVICE Application March 29, 1939, Serial No. 264,823

4 Claims.

This invention relates to sharpening of slotted double edged safety razor blades and more particularly to a device for holding a slotted safety razor blade.

The device according to my invention comprises a handle, two rigid prongs, and a spring within said prongs and extending into the handle. The blade to be sharpened is inserted between the prongs, and the holder and blade are inserted into a tumbler or other concave honing surface. Honing operations then take place in the conventional manner.

It is an object of my invention to provide a device which in a simple manner will facilitate a sharpening of dulled safety razor blades.

It is another object of my invention to provide a device for sharpening safety razor blades which can be used without any additional accessory other than an ordinary tumbler.

Still another object of my invention is a device for sharpening a safety razor blade by honing in a concave glass surface, which will facilitate an even hone and at the same time avoid the danger of cutting the fingers of the user.

It is a further object of my invention to provide such a device which is simple in structure, inexpensive to make, and efficient in operation.

Other objects will readily appear from the specification and drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows a sectional elevation, and

Fig. 2 a side view of the device;

Fig. 3 shows a detailed view of the spring;

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the device in actual use with a razor blade on a glass tumbler;

Fig. 5 shows a section of Fig. 4 along line AA.

More particularly, 1 shows the cylindrical handle and 2, 2' the prongs extending from the handle. Handle and prongs are preferably made in one piece. They may be made of wood, synthetic resins, or of aluminum, aluminum alloys, or other metals, preferably light weight alloys (by means of die casting or otherwise). The outside of the prongs is preferably flattened to prevent the fingers of the user from slipping. The inside of each prong has a longitudinal concave hollow 3, 3 for accommodating the floating yieldable spring 4. The outer ends of the prongs are tapered. The spring 4 preferably consists of a spring metal wire which is bent substantially U-shaped. The outer ends of the U are offset towards each other so as to almost touch each other; the length of the offset portion substantially corresponds to the length of a slot in a conventional slotted razor blade. The outermost tips of the U are bent outwardly. The lower end of the U is looped. There is a cylindrical recess 5 inside the handle I, in which the spring is inserted. The outer portions of the spring are located in the longitudinal recesses, 3, 3' of the prongs, with the extreme ends in the transverse holes 6 and 6' in the respective prongs 2, 2.

No additional fastening means for the spring are necessary. The spring floats within the device and yields in all directions.

In operation the blade is inserted between the prongs and loosely held by the spring. It will facilitate the insertion of the blade and holder over the tumbler if the blade is allowed to protrude slightly from spring 4 and prongs 2, 2. Holder and blade are then inserted into a tumbler 1 so that one prong and the blade are on the inside of the tumbler, and the other prong is on the outside. One half of the spring correspondingly is on the inside of the tumbler and the other on the outside. The blade is now honed by moving the holder back and forth sideways; it is helpful to moisten the blade and tumbler. The spring pressure from the inside and outside assure the production of even honing edges.

Other modifications of my invention, which are within its spirit, will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Such modifications are within the scope of my invention. I claim:

1. A safety razor blade holder for sharpening a slotted razor blade on the concave side of a glass tumbler, comprising a handle, two prongs, and floating spring means within said handle and said prongs, said spring means adapted to retain said blade within said prongs and to hold said blade in place during the sharpening of said blade on said tumbler, one of said prongs being on the inside and the other of said prongs being on the outside of said tumbler.

2. A safety razor blade holder according to claim 1, wherein said spring means consist of a U-shaped spring wire, the legs of said wire being oifset towards each other, the length of the offset portion substantially corresponding to the length of the slot in a conventional slotted razor blade.

3. A safety razor blade holder according to claim 1 ,wherein said prongs have horizontal holes near their respective ends, and wherein said spring means consist of a U-shaped spring wire, the legs of said wire being offset towards each other, the length of the offset portion substantially corresponding to the length of the slot in a conventional slotted razor blade, the outermost ends of said wire being bent outwardly for insertion into said holes in said prongs.

4. A safety razor blade holder for sharpening a razor blade, comprising a handle, said handle having an axial inside recess; two prongs narrower than the blades to be sharpened, said prongs having longitudinal recesses; and a floating, substantially U-shaped spring longitudinally lodged within said prongs and in said first named recess with the free ends of the spring in the respective recesses of the prongs; said spring ends gripping said blade and allowing the edges of said blade to project beyond said prongs.

ALBERT W. BLAKELY. 

